Carbon Fiber Datsun 240Z

This is Shawn Bassett’s 1972 Datsun 240Z. Shawn bought this car down in Miami after witnessing a Z bend the curves at The FIRM in Starke, FL. 

After initially inspecting this car on location and considering it’s cheap $1,100 price tag combined with its relative scarcity… Shawn took a chance & brought the Z home. BUT… he soon found extensive bondo action throughout the body. He got discouraged, and the Datsun sat… untouched for months. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of us are familiar with the feeling of defeat. When the energy is up… everything is up. But then we hit a wall. We get overwhelmed. I gets blown out of proportion. Progress stops. And motivation fades. Whether it’s the horror of rust & bondo, or the challenges of financial strain, we get discouraged, and usually make the obstacles out to be larger & scarier than they really are. We get so caught up in wanting things to be perfect… and go perfectly. To the point where anything that strays from perfection… keeps us from wanting to do anything at all.

But here’s the reality… perfection doesn’t exist. 

If you’re going into anything in life expecting perfection… prepare to be disappointed. And frustrated. And prepare yourself for a battle you’re never going to win. You’ll grow angry, and resent your own dreams. And you’ll end up abandoning your aspirations, becoming disenchanted, and hating the world because it didn’t give you what you wanted.  

But despite the fantasy of perfection and the reality of imperfection, people reach their dreams all the time! No one’s telling you to let up… we’re telling you to loosen up. Roll with the punches! 

New Positive Energy

After Shawn came to sobering terms with the reality of his project, the plan for the Z began to take on a new positive energy… and turned from a moderate careful restoration, to a full-on ‘why the hell not?!’ race car. He slaved away on the Datsun for 4 years in his home garage. Obstacles & setbacks got torched out & creatively rethought. Whenever Shawn hit a point that was beyond his knowledge or capability, he pushed himself to learn, research, and figure it out. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So for those people who have earned their castle in the sky, there’s no such thing as failure… just adjustments in the battle plan. 

Text & Photos by Jesuel Rivera